Blank Check With Griffin & David

On this week's special episode, Griffin and David are once again joined by Joe Reid (The Decider) to present their personal nominations for the upcoming 89th Academy Awards. This roundtable discussion looks to all the major categories and offers engaging criticism, as well as, references deep cut cinema from 2016 you may have missed. With the “Blankies”, some winners are picked, Oscar snubs deservingly defended, but AGAIN as always most of the personal grudges continue.

In our third episode of Spielberg: The DreamWorks Years mini series, Griffin and David are joined by Richard Lawson (Vanity Fair) to discuss 1998's war drama Saving Private Ryan.

Griffin and David look to Spielberg’s next film (also released in 1997) Amistad. But what are the glaringly problematic issues with this movie? Could a more suited director and screen writer have been brought onto the production? How long has Sir Anthony Hopkins been phoning it in exactly? Together they examine the career trajectory of Matthew McConaughey, Peter Firth receives comedy points and assess the cast in a performance review.

The debut of our new mini series on the filmography of Steven Spielberg begins with 1997’s Lost World: Jurassic Park. Post-Oscar wins for Best Director and Best Picture, Steven took four years off before directing this sequel. In that time he founded his own studio DreamWorks. Griffin and David would argue this level of creative control is the biggest blank check that any filmmaker has ever had. Presenting Pod Me If You Cast. But seriously what IS chaos math? Why does this film unfold similarly to a video game? What does Isla Nublar roughly translate to? Together #thetwofriends discuss the careers of Laura Dern, Vince Vaughn, Jeff Goldblum, convenient islands, life finding a way and a epic Pete Postlethwaite monologue.

On the week of it’s release in January of 2017, Griffin and David discussed the new M. Night Shyamalan film: Split. Together they examine James McAvoy’s career, horror troupes, the outstanding cinematography and ruminate on the movie’s HUGE twist.

Presenting a best of episode with all the favorite moments from our mini series on Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

Presenting a best of episode with all the favorite moments from our mini series on Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

Presenting a best of episode with all the favorite moments from our mini series on Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

On the day of it’s release in December of 2016, Griffin and David discussed the highly anticipated spinoff Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Together they examine the new planets, Darth Vader’s milk bath, Peter Cushing’s return and why Star Wars films require great jackets.

Our special episode this week: a discussion of 1997’s spy comedy The Man Who Knew Too Little. But how would you picture a Boris the Butcher to look? What are Producer Ben’s favorite bits? And why does Griffin know so much about box office stats? Together they examine the different phases of Bill Murray’s career, Peter Gallagher’s eyebrows, and Griffin’s access to the fabled Murray 1-800 number.

On September 11th, Blank Check & friends attended the Cirque du Soleil/Avatar crossover Toruk: First Flight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. But is this show more than just rope dancing? Was the Toruk app worth the download? Does this tie into the upcoming 4 sequels slated to be released? Join #thetwofriends, guest Rachel Lang and Producer Ben as they guide you through the live experience including reverse puppetry, how much they spent on their drinks, the condiment stands, election predictions and dangling.

This week the BC crew discusses 2009’s 3D sci-fi epic Avatar. But are trees nature’s internet? Is this the ultimate cultural appropriation movie? Does the public need four more Avatar movies? Together they examine the performances of the cast including Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, breaking box office records, review the winners of the Academy Award for Best Cinematography over the last few years and argue about Coraline. Plus, another merchandise spotlight and announce the next new mini-series!

Griffin and David this week discussed two documentaries directed by James Cameron: 2003’s Ghost of the Abyss and 2006’s Aliens of the Deep. But what were the early days of IMAX like? What kind of very rich person loves risking their lives in a submarine? Does David or Producer Ben rep Jupiter's moon, Europa, harder? Together, they examine Bill Paxton’s Texas accent, water drones James & Elwood and play a double dose of the box office game.

Griffin and David continue their discussion of Titanic with Emily Yoshida (Spin Magazine) and Katey Rich (Vanity Fair). But are Cameron’s drawings basic? Why is Neil deGrasse Tyson such a star bummer? Could a car really get THAT steamy? Together, they examine Paul Rudd as Jack, the STDs of 1912, CD-rom game Titanic: Adventure Out of Time and theorize why this is a mall movie.

Emily Yoshida (Spin Magazine) and Katey Rich (Vanity Fair) return to discuss 1997’s epic romance Titanic with special guest Charlie “the baby” Rich! Thats right, Blank Check has brought IN the women and children to our podboat to dive deep into some ice-cold analysis. But how important is water in Cameron’s life? What about Bill Paxton’s huge earring? Whats the artist’s name something Picasso? Together they examine Leo mania, the performances of Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Victor Garber and the panel’s first time seeing this film including a diary entry and private planetarium date.

Griffin and David this week discuss 1994’s action comedy remake, True Lies. But how does this film relate to Cameron’s marriages? Was the character Spencer Trilby, played by Charlton Heston, an intentional Nick Fury rip off? Just how gross is the interrogation scene? Join #thetwofriends examine Jamie Lee Curtis’ career, the BAFTA awards, the Flintstones movie and balloon metaphors. Plus, the return of Yarnel!

Days before its official release, Griffin and David discussed 2016's action thriller sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.

Sam Rogal (Magnet Theatre) joins Griffin and David to discuss the 1991 hit sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day. But do the special effects still hold up over twenty years later? What influenced the decision to make Arnold Schwarzenegger a good robot? Did Planet Hollywood ever serve a dish called pasta la vista? Together they examine the performances of Robert Patrick and Linda Hamilton, the comical amount of people shot in the knees, Arnold’s post hits career and lava in the 90’s.

Josh Ruben (CollegeHumor) joins Griffin and David to discuss the 1989 underwater alien thriller The Abyss. But why exactly is this movie impossible to find anywhere on the internet? Just how much of wet nightmare was this production for the cast and crew? What ARE some things to do in Denver when you’re dead? Together they draw parallels certain between the lead characters failing marriage, share Chris Elliott scoops, examine Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ’s career and why Ed Harris refuses to talk about this film ever again (hint: he didn’t like being repeatedly drowned.)

Fran Hoepfner (ClickHole) joins Griffin and David to discuss the 1986 horror/sci-fi sequel Aliens. But how did James go about pitching this project to studio executives? What exactly is Paul Reiser mad about? Could Private Vasquez be anymore of a badass? Together they share their thoughts on Cameron’s masterful storytelling, Sigourney Weaver’s outstanding performance, milk blood, pleasant adult flirting and more!